The history and practice of Industrial Design in Victoria Australia is my research interest and this blog include posts related to this interest as well as my practice as a designer and design educator.

Thursday, 24 January 2013

Dr Ethan Wang arrived this week in Melbourne to take up his position as lecturer in the Department of Design at MADA Monash Art Design and Architecture. Dr Wang will conduct research and teach into the Master of Industrial Design program in Suzhou China at the Southeast University - Monash University Joint Graduate School (Suzhou).

Tuesday, 22 January 2013

Bernie Walsh road tested the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet this week and the results were impressive. We are currently evaluating tablet options for students enrolled in the Southeast University Monash University Joint Graduate School (Suzhou) Master of Industrial Design program starting in March in Suzhou China.

Students will have access to the latest Wacom Cintiq tablet technology on campus to develop sketching and communication skills and the Samsung tablets may be ideal as personal tablets for each student.

Bernie completed a speed sketch using Autodesk Sketchbook Pro which downloaded in seconds to the device. The Wacom S pen was a particular hit with Bernie and the battery life of over three days is ideal for industrial design concept sketching on the move.

We are keen to take students out of the Wacom Lab in Suzhou and the portability of the Galaxy Note 10.1 is great. The tablet will also facilitate new approaches for teaching and learning of industrial design students in China.

The Design Festival will take place during Vivid Sydney 2013 from 30 May to 10 June and will feature an international design conference, a public design showcase, the prestigious Australian International Design Awards Presentation Ceremony and a series of design celebrations.

Brandon Gien, Managing Director of Good Design Australia, believes that aligning the Design Festival to Vivid Sydney is a natural fit and will highlight Sydney’s position on the world design map and elevate the important role good design plays in our daily lives.

"The inaugural Design Festival will promote Australian design to the world and will reinforce the message that Sydney is an international city with iconic design at its core. We are looking forward to working with the NSW Government, through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, and Business Events Sydney to deliver a world class design event.”

The Design Forum, an integral part of the Design Festival, will feature some of the world's most prominent design leaders who will talk about the latest industry trends and spark debate on how design is playing a leading role in shaping a better future.

The Australian International Design Awards will be calling for entries from 1 February 2013 to feature in the inaugural Design Festival. Finalists will be invited to take part in the Good Design Showcase at Westfield Sydney, Bondi Junction and Parramatta shopping centres during the Design Festival.

Travelling in regional Victoria during the Summer break has always been very productive for my collection of Australian industrial design products and this year is no exception. The only issue is keeping the vintage plastic items safe from the 40+ degrees in the car.

Tuesday, 8 January 2013

The Danish Deluxe Inga arm chair was manufactured in Victoria in the 1960s. Danish Deluxe was a major Victorian furniture manufacturer from the 1950s to the 1980s. The company was formed by Neville Askanasy, John Westacott and Borg Gjorstvang.

About Me

Ian Wong is an industrial designer with over twenty five years of professional practice experience. Ian is Program Director - Master of Industrial Design at MADA Monash University. This double masters degree is delivered at the SouthEast University Monash University Joint Graduate School (Suzhou) in China. Ian has worked previously as design manager for Outerspace Design and Silvan Australia, and lectured also at RMIT and Swinburne Universities. Ian is a councilor of the Design Institute of Australia and President of Melbourne Movement.